Puzzle



Y (No Model.) y 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. L. Y'IHRS'I'ON.V

PUZZLE.

No. 487,797. Patented Deo. 13, 1892.

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Y E. L. THURSTON.

PUZZLE. No. 487,797. Patepted Deo. 13, 1892.

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Y. (NAO MOleL) v 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. E. L. THURST'ON.

PUZZLE'.

" No. 487,797. Patented Deo.. 13,.:1892.'

WlTNEssEs. INVENTUR www. 115m. f

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEioE.

EDWIN L. THURSTON, CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO LEONARD l VATSON, OFDENVER, COLORADO.

PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,797, dated December13, 1892.

Application iiled September 30, 1890. Serial No. 366,615. (No model.)

of each tablet is divided into as many substantially-equal sections asit has. sides and each section contains a different designatingsymboland collectively the symbols are arranged in the ysections of theseveral tablets in such manner that all the tablets constituting apuzzle may be laid in contact to form some prescribed outline figurewhen the touching sections of contiguous blocks contain the same symbol.

In the drawings, Figure l is a'plan view of that form of my inventionWhich I believe to be the best form and the form upon which the specificclaims in this specification are based. Fig. 2 is a plan View of amodification of the broad invention. The puzzle shown in Fig. 2 isdescribed and-specifically claimed in a separate application which Wasfiled September 30, 1890, and serially numbered 366,616. Fig. 3'isa-plan view of another modification of the broad invention, and Fig. isa view ofa modified form of one of the tablets.

I will now proceed to describe the characteristics of the broadinvention, referring for greater clearness to the drawings. I Will thenpoint out the additional characteristics common to the forms shown inFigs. I and 2, and will iinally describe in detail the form shown inFig. l.

In all of the forms of the puzzle the surface of each tablet at and nearthe edge is divided into as many substantially-equal sections I 2 34asit has sides. It is preferable that these divisionsV should extend overthe entire surface, as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3; but since it is theedges of the tablets that are to be matched the formation of one or moreadditional interior sections after the manner lshown in Fig. 4 is nodeparture from the invention. Each section contains a symbol, and thesections on the same block contain different sy mbols. Any symbolsmay beused.

I have in the drawings employed numerals to represent any desiredsymbols. In addition to the numerals to represent the symbols, I have`filled the sections with different kinds of sec- This is intended torepresent tionlining.

dif'erent colors. In other words, in the best vform of theinventioncolors are used as symbols. This use of colors is more than a preferreddetail,beoause When other symbols are employed they will generally, ifarranged so that the tops of all are toward the same edge of the tablet,showinstantly which is the top, so to speak, of each tablet. If not soarranged, the different symbols cannot (if they have a top and bottom)be readily selected by the eye. Vhen colors are employed, (or othersymbols having no top or bottom,) it cannot be known which part of thetablet is the top or bottom or side. Colors have these furtheradvantages over all other symbols, viz: they are most easily picked outby the eye and make a much prettier puzzle.

The shape of the tablets or the manner in which their surfaces aredivided is not material to the broad invention, although these detailsare material to the different specific forms. In Fig. l the tablets aresquare and the dividing-lines between the tablets extend from the middleof each side to the middle of the opposite side. In Fig. 2 the tabletsare square, and in Fig. 3 they are in the form of a rhombus, and in eachof the last two forms the lines of division between the sections extenddiagonally from angle to angle.

In each of the complete puzzles represented six different symbols areemployed, although more or less,may be used in other embodiments of theinvention. The symbols are so distributed upon the different tabletsthat all of the tablets maybe placed in contact, substantially as shown,and the Whole form when so placed some prescribed outline figure Whenthe touching sections on contiguous tablets contain the same symbol.Take, for example, the tablets marked B C and D C. The

sections on tablet C which contain the symbols 5 and 6 are next to thesections on the tablet B which contain the same symbols, and thesections containing 2 and 6 on tablet C lie next to sections containingthe same symbols on tablet D.

The outline figure formed by all the tablets shown in Figs. l and 2 whensaid tablets are arranged as pointed out is a square. The outline figureformed when the tablets constituting the puzzle shown in Fig. 3 areproperly placed is a six-pointed star. The shape of the complete outlinefigure depends upon the shape and number of the tablets of which it isformed. Figs. l and 2 show puzzles having these common vcharacteristicsadditional to those already described, to wit: Each consists,essentially, of fifteen tablets in the form of parallelograms and whenproperly arranged form a figure of the same shape from which one tabletis missingl The sixteenth tablet (marked A) to complete the Iigure mayor may not be added, according to the fancy. In the form shown thetablets are square and the figure formed by them when properly arrangedis also'a square, provided the sixteenth tablet A is used. This squareform of the tablets adds to the difficulty of solving the puzzle, because since there is no difference in the length of the sides or sizeof the angles it cannot be known beforehand which of the four sides ofany tablet is to occupy vany particular position. In each of thesepuzzles six symbols are employed, and four are placed on each tablet. Itis a well-known mathematical fact that out of six symbols fifteencombinations of four each may be made, and the six symbols employed areso arranged upon the dit'- ferent tablets that each tablet contains oneof said fifteen possible combinations. In other Words, no two of thetablets bear the same four symbols. The sixteenth tablet (which ismarked A in each figure) is added, as before stated, to complete thesquare and make the puzzle more symmetrical when completed. This tabletis a duplicate of one of the other tablets (that marked B) to the extentthat it bears the same four symbols; but the symbols are differentlydisposed thereon, so that, strictly speaking, it is not a duplicate ofany other.

The difference between the separate tablets composing the puzzle shownin Fig. 1 and that shown in Fig. 2 is in the shape of the sections andtheir disposition relative to the sides of the tablet. In Fig. 1 thesections are square and lie part on 'one side and part on the adjacentside. In Fig. 2 the sections are triangular and lie only on one side,which is completely lled thereby. This difference produces a differentappearance in the puzzle when the tablets are arranged in contact. Vhenthe symbols employed are colors, the completed puzzle shows in the formshown in Fig. l squares of color each four times as large as theseparate sections composing it and nine complete squares are formed. Inthe form shown in Fig. 2 squares of color twice as large as thecomponent sections are formed and there are twenty-four complete squaresformed. The form shown in Fig. l is the most easily solved, and I desireto claim, specically, the form of tablet and combination of tabletsconstituting the puzzle shown v .innig-.1.

Having tlius described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A puzzle composed of a number of foursided tablets in the form ofparallelograms, I'

the surface of each tablet being divided into,l four substantially-equalsections,'e`ach section containing one of the several symbols, of

which the same symbol does not appear twice y on any tablet, and notwo'tablets bear the same four symbols, said tablets being adapted to bearranged in contact and form some prescribed outline iigure when thetouchingsections of contiguous tablets contain the same. symbol.

2. A puzzle composed of fifteen parallelo`r grammatic tablets, eachhaving its upper surface at and near the edges. divided into foursubstantially-equal sections, each sectioncontaining one of sixsymbolswhich are disposed upon said tablets in the following manner, viz: thesame symbol does not appear twice on any tablet and no two tablets bearthev same four symbols, all of said tablets being adapted to be arrangedin contact to. forma parallelogrammatic outline figure (having onevacant space) when the touching sections of contiguous tablets containthe same symbols.

3. A puzzle composed of iifteen parallelogrammatic tablets, each havingits upper surface at and near the edges divided into foursubstantially-equal sections, each section containing one of six symbolswhich are disposed upon said tablets in` the following manner, viz: thesame symbol does not appear twice on any tablet and no two tablets bearthe same four symbols, all of said tablets being adapted to be arrangedin contact to form a parallelograrnmatic outline figure (having onevacant space) when the touching sections ot' contiguous tablets containthe samer symbols, combined with asixteenth tablet similar to the othersin shape and in having its surface similarly divided into sections whichconi tain four of said symbols, said tablet lbeing IOO cant space) whenthe touching sections of contiguous tablets contain the same symbols,

combined with a sixteenth square tablet similar to the other tablets inthat its surface is similarly divided into sections which contain fourof said symb0ls,said tablet being adapted to fill said vacant space andto match in the described manner with the adjacent tablets.

6. A puzzle composed of fifteen square tablets, each having its uppersurface at and near the edges divided into four equal sections, each ot'which extends from the middle of one side to the middle of an adjacentside, each section containing one of six symbols which are disposed uponthe tablets in the following manner, viz: the same symbol does notappear twice on any tablet and no two tablets bear the same foursymbols, said tablets being adapted to be arranged in contact to form asquare (having one vacant space) when the touching sections ofcontiguous tablets contain the same symbols.

7. A puzzle composed of fifteen square tablets, each havin gits uppersurface at and near the edges divided into four equal sections, each ofwhich extends from the middle of one side to the middle of an adjacentside, each section containing one of six symbols which are disposed uponthe tablets in the following manner, viz: the same symbol does notappear twice on any tablet and no two tablets bear the same foursymbols, said tablets being adapted to be arranged in contact to form asquare (having one vacant space) when the touching sections ofcontiguous tablets contain the same symbols, combined with a sixteenthsquare tablet similar to the others in that its surface is similarlydivided into sections which contain four of 1 said symbols, said tabletbeing adapted to till said vacant space and to match in the describedmanner with the adjacent tablets.

8. Apuzzle composed of fifteen square tablets, each of which is dividedinto four equal sections by lines which extend from the middle of oneside to the middle of the opposite side, each section being colored inone of sixV different colors which are disposed upon said tablets in thefollowing manner, viz: no tablet has two sections of the same ,color andlno two tablets have four similarly-colored sections, said tablets beingadapted to be arranged in contact to form a square (having one vacantspace) when all of the touching sections of contiguous tablets aresimilarly colored.

9. A puzzle composed of fifteen square tablets, each of which is dividedinto four equal sections by lines which extend from the middle of oneside to the middle of the opposite side, each section being colored inone of six different colors which are disposed upon said tablets in thefollowing manner, viz: no tablet hasv two sections of the same color andno two tablets have four similarly-colored sections, said tablets beingadapted to be arranged in contact to form a square (having one vacantspace) when all of the touching sections of contiguous tablets aresimilarly colored, combined with a sixteenth square tablet similar tothe others in that its surface is similarly divided into sections whicharek colored in four of said colors, said tablet being adapted to fillsaid vacant space and to match in the described manner with the adjacenttablets.

Witn esses ALBERT H. BATES, FRANK. MILLER.

EDWIN L. fiHURs'ToN.4

